How do I install the Design Database skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/design-database in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Design Database safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Design Database?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Design Database free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Design Database?

tomevault-io (@tomevault-io) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Design Database by tomevault-io — Agent Skill

Name: Design Database
Author: tomevault-io

Design Database

Proposes a database schema (SQL or NoSQL) for a given domain. Use when the user asks to "design a database", "model data for X", "build an ER", pick SQL vs NoSQL, or invokes /sdd:design-database. Grounded in DDIA and Kimball. Use when this capability is needed.

tomevault-io cc84eee 2 files · 3.4 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

design-database

Design a DB that survives real load and schema change. Opinionated, not a survey.

Process

Workload first, entities second. Answer: read/write ratio, top 3–5 queries, 1-year volume, transactional boundaries, consistency need, query shape (point/range/join/agg/search).
Pick the store. Default Postgres. Choose NoSQL only for a workload reason. Ref: sql-vs-nosql.md.
OLTP vs OLAP. Analytical → Kimball star schema (kimball-dimensional.md). Mixed → CDC into a separate warehouse.
Schema sketch. Entities, tables/collections with types + nullability + constraints, PK/FK, indexes (ref indexing-tradeoffs.md), uniqueness + check constraints.
Normalization. Default 3NF for OLTP (normalization.md). Denormalize only the hot read path, with a documented plan to prevent drift.
Transactions. State required isolation per multi-row operation (transactions.md). Cross-service → saga + outbox + idempotency keys (distributed-transactions.md).
Scale strategy. Replication topology (replication.md), sharding key + hot-partition mitigation (sharding-partitioning.md). Don't shard prematurely.
Schema evolution. Expand-contract, backfill, reversible migrations (schema-evolution.md). Never drop in a single deploy.
Ops. PITR window, RPO/RTO, backup frequency + retention, restore-drill cadence.

Reference lookup

sql-vs-nosql.md · kimball-dimensional.md · normalization.md · indexing-tradeoffs.md · transactions.md · distributed-transactions.md · replication.md · sharding-partitioning.md · schema-evolution.md

Load only the ones relevant to the current step.

Output skeleton

# Database Design: <domain>

## 1. Workload  (ratio, top queries, volume, consistency)
## 2. Store choice  (engine, one-paragraph justification)
## 3. Schema  (tables/collections, indexes)
## 4. Transactions & consistency  (isolation per op)
## 5. Scale strategy  (replication, sharding, hotspots)
## 6. Schema evolution  (migration plan)
## 7. Operations  (backup, DR, monitoring)
## 8. Trade-offs & alternatives considered

Offer to generate a DBML diagram via the diagram skill and save to ./designs/db-<kebab-name>.md.

Source: DinoQuinten/claude-plugins — distributed by TomeVault.

---name: design-databasedescription: Proposes a database schema (SQL or NoSQL) for a given domain. Use when the user asks to "design a database", "model data for X", "build an ER", pick SQL vs NoSQL, or invokes /sdd:design-database. Grounded in DDIA and Kimball. Use when this capability is needed.---# design-databaseDesign a DB that survives real load and schema change. Opinionated, not a survey.## Process1. **Workload first, entities second.** Answer: read/write ratio, top 3–5 queries, 1-year volume, transactional boundaries, consistency need, query shape (point/range/join/agg/search).2. **Pick the store.** Default **Postgres**. Choose NoSQL only for a workload reason. Ref: `sql-vs-nosql.md`.3. **OLTP vs OLAP.** Analytical → Kimball star schema (`kimball-dimensional.md`). Mixed → CDC into a separate warehouse.4. **Schema sketch.** Entities, tables/collections with types + nullability + constraints, PK/FK, indexes (ref `indexing-tradeoffs.md`), uniqueness + check constraints.5. **Normalization.** Default 3NF for OLTP (`normalization.md`). Denormalize only the hot read path, with a documented plan to prevent drift.6. **Transactions.** State required isolation per multi-row operation (`transactions.md`). Cross-service → saga + outbox + idempotency keys (`distributed-transactions.md`).7. **Scale strategy.** Replication topology (`replication.md`), sharding key + hot-partition mitigation (`sharding-partitioning.md`). Don't shard prematurely.8. **Schema evolution.** Expand-contract, backfill, reversible migrations (`schema-evolution.md`). Never drop in a single deploy.9. **Ops.** PITR window, RPO/RTO, backup frequency + retention, restore-drill cadence.## Reference lookup`sql-vs-nosql.md` · `kimball-dimensional.md` · `normalization.md` · `indexing-tradeoffs.md` · `transactions.md` · `distributed-transactions.md` · `replication.md` · `sharding-partitioning.md` · `schema-evolution.md`Load only the ones relevant to the current step.## Output skeleton```markdown# Database Design: <domain>## 1. Workload (ratio, top queries, volume, consistency)## 2. Store choice (engine, one-paragraph justification)## 3. Schema (tables/collections, indexes)## 4. Transactions & consistency (isolation per op)## 5. Scale strategy (replication, sharding, hotspots)## 6. Schema evolution (migration plan)## 7. Operations (backup, DR, monitoring)## 8. Trade-offs & alternatives considered```Offer to generate a DBML diagram via the `diagram` skill and save to `./designs/db-<kebab-name>.md`.---> Source: [DinoQuinten/claude-plugins](https://github.com/DinoQuinten/claude-plugins) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).

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